In Gale's Eyes
by soccerocker22
Summary: The 74th Hunger Games in Gale's POV
1. Chapter 1

(Author's note: This is my first fanfiction story and it's not that good, but go easy on me!)

"Wake up Gale! It's reaping day! You need to get ready!" My mother shakes me for the millionth time and I finally get up. Only one thing gets me out of bed. The thought of hunting with Katniss in the woods. It will bring something good to this horrible day. Each year, all of us have to watch a boy and a girl from District 12 walk up on that stage after their name is called, only to die a short while after. I can't stand this punishment the Capital uses on us. They may have over-powered us in the last rebellion, but someday the people of Panem will be free of their cruelty. I hope that day will be soon.

I get my hunting gear and walk out the door. My mom is getting my younger siblings ready and barely notices me as I leave. I get to the electric gate that separates District 12 from the woods. I sneak under the opening Katniss and I use and find my weapons that are hidden away in a hollow log that Katniss and I share. I hike up to our usual place and am happy to see her face. We eat the food we brought and talk about the reaping and the Capital. Suddenly I say,"We could do it you know, leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it." Katniss stares at me blankly and says,"We should get going."

We head to the Mayor's house to sell strawberries as usual. Suddenly, someone comes up to us and I wish more than anything that "someone" would leave. It's Madge Undersee. The mayor's daughter. Katniss is friends with her, but I find her sickening. While the rest of us enter our names into the reaping many times for tesserae, she only has to enter her name 5 times. She has the good life while everyone else in District 12 suffers from the Capital's punishment. I insult her small gold pin with a bird on it, but for some reason that makes me feel guilty. The pin seems to represent something other than wealth, but I can't name it. Something about that bird looks familiar and gives me a feeling I can't describe. I quickly dismiss the thought once Madge pays us fr the strawberries. We sell her our game and I say goodbye to Katniss and glare at Madge.

Later at the reaping, I see Katniss and all I can do is hope that her name doesn't get called. She looks beautiful in her dress and her hair looks like silk. I can't ever tell her what I've been feeling recently because it might destroy our friendship forever. Seeing her so worried pains me but I remain standing tall and emotionless. Effie Trinket with the crazy pink hair spins the reaping ball and pulls out a name. The tension is making me feel sick. Effie says loudly to the crowd, "Primrose Everdeen!" The name echoes in my head. Katniss' sister is going into the games.


	2. Chapter 2

(Author's note: I don't have my book with me since I'm on vacation so it's kinda hard to write this. LIke in the last chapter when Gale mentioned running away, I forgot what else happened so I made that up. Anyway, please read my friend's story. It's the hunger games in Rue's POV. Her username is katniss123.)

I turn to Katniss and her bright beautiful face suddenly has a look of terror. As Prim slowly walks to the stage, Katniss lunges to her and screams,"No! Prim don't!" I come up to pry Prim's hands off of Katniss while she kicks and screams. Katniss yells,"I volunteer! I volunteer to be a tribute!" Effie protests that Prim has to come on the stage first, but Katniss refuses. She steps onto the stage and stares out into the crowd. No one claps. It starts from one person and leads to everyone in the crowd. The District 12 goodbye. I hold back the tears in my eyes as I watch Katniss. Haymitch Abernathy comes up and says,"I like her. She has a lot of... spunk." Then he falls off the stage. Effie looks at him in disgust and spins the reaping ball and pulls out a boy's name. She calls out,"Peeta Mellark!"

I see the blond haired boy step forward and onto the stage. No. It can't be him. Anyone but him. A few years ago, when my father died, I had to hunt for food in the woods. I wasn't the best at first so my family barely scraped by. Then one day while I was walking outside, I saw a starved young girl on the ground. A boy came out with bread and came it to her. He had a large bruise on his face. She took the bread and ran home. I thought about stopping her and giving her some of my game, but I couldn't risk the lives of my siblings and mother. I couldn't stand the thought of seeing my helpless little brothers so starved. My mother was pregnant and needed food for the baby to survive so I headed home. A few days later, Vick began to starve. I rushed to the woods and tried to remember what my father taught me. I remembered the amazing traps he made and tried to copy him.

My trap worked perfectly and caught a rabbit. I made a few more and soon, I had enough food to last for a while. I had forgotten about the young girl, but that didn't last long. One day while I was hunting, a girl was about to touch one of my traps before I said,"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." She jumped back and mumbled,"I wasn't… I was just…" I laughed and said,"Well my name is Gale. And yours is?" I could barely hear her so I thought she said,"Catnip." I replied,"Well Catnip, stealing is punishable by death. Or hadn't you heard?" The girl was Katniss. I began calling her Katniss, but once a hungry lynx started following her, the name stuck. She became my hunting partner and my best friend. Now, I wish I had given her my game on that one day. Peeta had beaten me to it though. I saw how he looked at her. I knew how he felt. And that is why I absolutely hated him.


	3. Chapter 3

**(Author's note: Please check out my friend's story "Rue's Hunger Game Nightmare"! Her username is Katniss123 so please look at it if you have time!)**

I rush to the Justice Building and suddenly realize that the tears I held back are running down my face. People stare at me weirdly, so I must look like a wreck. I reach the justice Building and Effie Trinket is talking to reporters. She inspects me like I'm a stray dog on the streets and says,"You must be related to Katniss… are you her cousin?" Reporters scream questions about how it feels to have my cousin ripped away from me. I just push Effie aside and she gasps,"Young man! Use your manners! Ugh, who were you raised by? A pack of wolves?" I glare at her as I push open the door. Dumb old Effie. Now reporters will be asking me for interviews also since they think I'm apart of Katniss' family. I run upstairs to two doors. Except I don't choose the one with Katniss behind it. I choose Peeta's. He seems surprised to see me at first and opens his mouth to say something, but I stop him,"Promise me! Promise me you won't let her die!" He stares at me questioningly and asks,"What do you mean?" I close in on him and my voice drops to a whisper,"Make sure Katniss comes out of the arena alive." I turn on my heel and leave the room, but as I leave I hear Peeta say,"I promise."

Madge comes out of Katniss' room as I walk in. Katniss runs up and hugs me. I know she's trying her best not to cry, which makes me stay strong. She asks me to keep her family safe and it takes all of my strength to answer. I wish I never had to let her go, but the guards come in and drag me out. I struggle and yell,"Katniss! Remember, I-" The door slams in my face. I whisper to myself,"Love you." I walk out the building and a few minutes later, I can see a train leaving the station in the distance. I know that Katniss is inside and that makes my heart even heavier.

The next day, the opening ceremony is being shown. No specific district gets my attention. They all seem plain and unoriginal. There is a tiny girl from District 11 that looks pretty and very familiar. But I can't remember who. Then it hits me. Prim. They both are the same age and size but the girl has dark skin and brown eyes. I can't imagine how Katniss feels when she sees the girl. Then the screen lights up when Katniss shows up. All of my worries about what horrid outfit her stylist would put her in melt away. She seems to be on fire. Her outfit is long and black with red, orange, and yellow flames painted on it. Her hair is in a braid and on top of her head seems to be a gigantic fire. She looks radiant in her outfit of fire and everything seems perfect until I see something. Peeta is holding her hand. I want to scream at the television but I hold myself back. Katniss smiles and waves to everyone an when she waves at the screen, it feels like she's waving to me. She disappears from the screen and my heart feels weak.

A few days later, when Katniss' score is shown, I'm not surprised to see an eleven pop up. I smile and whisper,"Good job Catnip." Then it's time for the interviews. The first girl is definitely being sexy, but that's what I hate in girls. She doesn't have a natural beauty. Not like Katniss. I start to get impatient watching the interviews, but as if on cue, Katniss walks onto the stage. My heart melts when I see her. She looks like a beautiful jewel set on fire. She's not being sexy, funny, charming, or arrogant. She's being Katniss. It's not what the Capital loves. It's what I love. When her interview is over, Peeta walks onto the stage. He's being charming and joking around with Caesar Flickerman. I personally find it annoying, but the crowd loves it. It's the moment when Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend that the crowd is silent. Peeta says,"Well, there is one girl I've had a crush on ever since I can remember, but I don't think she even knew I existed until the reaping." Caesar replies,"So here's the deal, you win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" Peeta doesn't seem comforted by that,"I don't think winning will help in my case." Caesar raises and eyebrow and asks,"Why ever not?" Peeta looks down and blushes,"Because...because...she came here with me."

I'm not angry, I'm _furious._ It blinds me along with the tears running down my face. My tough image seems to wash away with every tear. My sister Posy comes up and says to me,"That boy can't love Katniss! You do!" I look down at her and say,"Yes, but he's told the whole nation of Panem. It's too late for me."


	4. Chapter 4

**(Author's note: I know my story isn't that good but can you please review if you read it? Anyway, is anyone else super excited for Mockingjay? I really want Katniss to end up with Gale and President Snow to die a very slow painful death. Hehe, sorry about that. Now back to the story!)**

I watch as the tributes appear on metal platforms. I like Katniss' outfit because it reminds me of our days of hunting in the woods. She's nervous but only I know that. Her face is emotionless to others but I've known her long enough to decode the hidden emotion on her face. The gong rings and Katniss stands there for a few second before running to the golden Cornucopia. She grabs a plastic pack but I see her eyeing the bow and arrow. She's about to take the pack, but another tribute fights for it. Suddenly he gets a knife thrown into his back and coughs blood all over her face.

I cringe but quickly forget it as she runs off to the woods. A knife shoots by her ear and narrowly misses. After walking a long time, she finds a tree and climbs up for the night. The camera goes back to the tributes again and they're still fighting. Many dead bodies lay on the ground. I see one tribute escape into the woods. They arrive under the tree Katniss is sleeping in and start a fire. The group of Career tributes show up from seeing the smoke probably. They laugh as the boy from District 2 brutally kills the girl with his sword. The group congratulates him and I notice a face. That dumb baker boy is with them! They talk about finding Katniss and killing her. He's turned on her! He's helping the people trying to kill her! I wish I could warn Katniss and tell her that lover boy isn't as sweet as everyone thinks he is. The anthem plays and shows the dead tributes. Eleven dead. I can't fall asleep in my rage but I want to watch Katniss tomorrow so I somehow force myself to go to sleep.

The next morning, I wake up to see what has happened. Katniss is walking around in a search for water in the woods. She seems like she could pass out any second but keeps walking. Stupid Haymitch. There has to be a sponsor sending in water! Why isn't he letting it through? Katniss falls and I begin to think she's dead, until she drags herself into a river. She drinks all of the water and falls asleep at the bottom of a tree after eating dinner and gulping down plenty of water. The camera goes to other tributes for a while but returns to Katniss. I can't believe my eyes. She running through fire and she's been badly burned. I watch as she leaps past fireballs and finally makes it to a small pond. She carefully puts her burned legs and hand into the water until the Careers show up. She runs to a sturdy tree and swiftly climbs up. The Careers look up at her from the ground and try shooting at her. That kid from District 2 tries to climb the tree but I chuckle as he falls hard to the ground. Katniss jokes around a bit and sets up her sleeping bag. The Careers are also asleep so the cameras switch again. Katniss looked extremely pained with her burns when it last showed her. I look over to my game from yesterday. It was a good hunting day so I caught a lot. I grab the bag and run out the door. I need to pay a visit to the Hob.

When I finally arrive, I go to the stall with the most expensive items. I had seen some sort of cream that treats burns the other day. I'm relieved to see that it's still there. I show the man my meat but he says,"I'm sorry, but that's not enough. Maybe another rabbit would do it but..." I give him a pleading look and he sighs,"Fine. Since your a daily customer at the Hob and no one else can probably even afford it." He hands me the cream and I thank him. I run to the post office,"This needs to be delivered to the Capital right away! Send it to Haymitch Abernathy and tell him it's for Katniss Everdeen." The man at the desk nods and takes the can. He makes a quick phone call and tosses the can into a big box. A hovercraft comes and takes it away.

I run home to see Katniss applying the cream. She probably thinks it's from some rich sponsor. She doesn't have to know it's from me. And she never will.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Author's note: Yeah I forgot to say the whole I don't anything stuff. So just to be safe: I own none of this. Well i did write the story but you know what I mean. Anyways, can the wait for Mockingjay end already? I'll be ok if Katniss doesn't choose Gale or Peeta, but I don't like Peeta. I want President Snowflake or whatever to die and Peeta can end up with Madge or something. I like author's notes.)**

I'm so busy making sure Katniss' burns get better, that I don't even notice the young girl next to her in the trees. All you can see are her large brown eyes. She points to a large object a little bit above Katniss. I'm horrified as I realize what the object is. A wasp nest. But not any wasp nest. A _tracker jacker _nest. Tracker jackers are muttations from the Capital that they used during the rebellion. Their stings are very painful and they swell to the size of a plum. Katniss seems to be thinking of a plan while she climbs to the branch that holds the nest. She begins to saw through it while the anthem plays. She only gets halfway through and goes to sleep. Her burns must still sting a little. I head to my bed after eating a rabbit leg and fall asleep.

When I wake up, Katniss is sawing again. None of the tracker jackers come out because they seem to be asleep. Suddenly, a few come out slowly. A few land on Katniss and she instantly starts to swell. The branch falls and the nest cracks open like a pinata. The tracker jackers swarm around the Careers and begin a stinging frenzy.

I see Peeta run off with a few other tributes to the pond while a girl runs the other direction. Another one falls to the ground and is stung all over. It's a sickening sight and I realize that it's the girl from District 1. Green puss oozes out of her swelled stings. Well she sure isn't playing sexy now. Katniss climbs down and tries to take the girl's sheath of arrows. The cannon blasts and a hover craft comes out is heard in the distance. Peeta comes out from the bushes and looks surprised to see Katniss taking such a risk. He tells Katniss to flee and she runs off with the arrows and the dead girl is taken away by the hovercraft. Cato comes back and sees that Katniss escaped. He yells at Peeta and slices his leg with his sword. Peeta screams as blood gushes out of his leg. Cato and the other Careers set off to make another camp.

I feel no sympathy for Peeta as he walks down a stream and into another patch of woods. He falls and uses his hands to camouflage himself with mud and leaves. I can barely see him and I wonder what would happen if he never came back up. I shake the thought from my head as the cameras go back to Katniss. She's stumbling and tripping as she walks. She soon falls into a ditch and falls asleep. It goes to the Careers making their new camp and the anthem plays. I see a small boy that wasn't there before setting up something around their huge pile of supplies. I can't tell what he's doing because the screen is so dark. '_He must be a replacement for blondie_' I think to myself.

I turn the television off. My stomach growls and I realize I didn't hunt today. Vick comes up to me and says,"Gale I'm hungry. You didn't go hunting today! What will we have for dinner?" I curse under my breath and say,"I'll be right back. Don't worry." I run off to the woods and slip under the fence. I find my weapons and see Katniss' bow and arrow. I take it with me just in case. Katniss taught me how to shoot an arrow once. I was decent at it, but I was a joke compared to Katniss. After that, I decided to stick with setting snares. I hear some leaves rustling and whip around. I must be lucky because I see a family of two turkeys walking together near a large bush. I take Katniss' bow and arrow and aim towards them. I send the arrow flying and quickly shoot another one. They fall to the ground and I collect them. I hit one in the stomach and the other's neck. My shot isn't very good but it's good enough. I check my snares and see that I've caught a squirrel.

I'm about to run home when I remember my promise to Katniss. I had completely forgotten about her family and I suddenly feel extremely guilty. I run quickly to her home and knock on the front door. A worried Prim answers the door but smiles when she sees my face. She thinks of me as an older brother so she hugs me and I say,"May I come in?" She nods and holds the door open for me. I head in and see a very teary Mrs. Everdeen. She gives me a half smile and turns back to another person that I didn't notice until now. I recognize him because I sometimes sell my game to him. Mr. Mellark. He's obviously comforting Mrs. Everdeen and looks up and sees me. He smiles and says,"Hello Gale! We were just chatting about the games when... when... perhaps this isn't a good time. Um, so what did you need?" I reply,"I caught a turkey and I came to drop it off for the Everdeen's." Mrs. Everdeen turns to me and says quietly,"Thank you Gale. That was very kind of you." I nod and turn to Prim,"Would you like to help me skin it?" She nods with a smile and we walk out of the room with a knife. We start to skin the turkey and I ask,"What happened in there?" Prim say quietly so the others wouldn't hear,"Mother was really worried about Katniss and said she didn't want to lose another person she loved. Like our... our-" "Your father," I answer for her. She nods and says,"She started crying and she just started getting better. Mr. Mellark didn't want her to get upset again." I nod as we finish skinning. We wash it off and go back inside. Mr. Mellark says,"Gale, you can set that down next to the bread I brought. Thank you." I set the turkey down and say goodbye.

I get home in a happy mood, but my family looks extremely worried. My mother's eyes are teary from crying. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Katniss?" My mother shakes her head and I notice that someone is missing. Posy. I look around and ask,"Where's Posy. It's not her bedtime yet." My mother begins to sob and Rory hugs her and says,"It's okay mother. She'll be fine. They'll find her." My heart starts to beat faster than normal and I yell,"Tell me! What happened to Posy?" My mother sniffs and says,"Gale, Posy is missing."


	6. Chapter 6

**(Author's note: Yes another chapter. Sooooo here you go! Oh and thanks for the reviews, I know there isn't a bunch, but it makes me feel better! Remember to read Rue's Hunger Games Nightmare by Katniss123. She's my friend and she would appreciate it if you read her story. But be warned! It's got some hardcore stuff! Rue takes "potty breaks"! Scary right?)**

My whole world seems to be crashing down. Katniss went into the hunger games, Peeta admitted his love for her, and now Posy is _missing._ After all of the things I've done to protect my family, I never expected this to come. All of the tears I've been holding back finally come out. My legs give out underneath me and I'm on my hands and knees. The only thing I don't understand is what happened to Posy. Did she run away? Or did she go out looking for me and get lost? Or maybe... no that couldn't happened. Posy couldn't have gotten kidnapped. Or could she? Who would do that? I think of the possibilities and remember something.

My mother was extra busy with work one day and couldn't take care of Posy while Rory and Vick were off with friends. So I had to babysit her. I needed to sell my game so I took Posy to the Hob with me. I kept seeing something in the corner of my eye. I thought someone was following us but I was probably just seeing things. When I was selling my game to Greasy Sae, a small man came up to me and Posy. He was wrinkly and wore tattered rags that were a faded brown. He had wispy white hair that barely covered his pale scalp. His eyes were a bright green and there was a mischievous look inside of them. His skin sagged and was yellow, which made him look very sick. He wore plain brown strapped sandals that were falling apart and his fingernails and toenails were cracked and encrusted with dirt. He smiled and showed a few cracked yellow teeth. "Hello young lady. How are you today?" Posy giggled and said,"I'm good. This is my brother Gale. He's selling his animals that he killed." The man raised an eyebrow and said,"What kind of game does he catch?" Posy replied,"Oh all sorts of things! Bunnies, squirrels, deer, turkey, and once he caught this big kitty. What was it called Gale?" I said flatly,"It was a lynx. And I don't think you should be giving out that information to strangers. Goodbye sir. Come along Posy."

Greasy Sae handed us our soup and we sat down at a bench and ate. Posy finished and asked if she could have another bowl. I nodded and told her to not talk to anyone else. She skipped away and I waited a bit. I soon became nervous and looked around for Posy. I couldn't see her anywhere. Panic came over me and I ran around yelling,"Posy! Posy! Where are you?" I saw a bowl of soup on the ground and knew I was getting close. Ahead something caught my eye. It was the old beggar with someone. I got closer and recognized who it was. Posy! I sprinted over to the and grabbed Posy. The beggar smirked at me and said,"What's wrong? We were just going for a little walk." I pulled Posy close to me and whispered,"Stay away from my sister." My voice cut through the air like a knife and the man backed away and nodded as he limped away. I took Posy home and decided that taking her to the Hob wasn't such a good idea.

That putrid little man must've taken Posy. Why? What did he want from her? Posy's so helpless. I remember her rosy cheeks and how she always smiled. Her hair was black and sleek but she'd always be doing crazy things to it. Her eyes were the same color of grey as mine but hers were so childish and playful that they seemed to glow. She would always run up to me and hug me when I got home from school and tell me all of the fun things she did with her dolls that my mother made. I look out the window to see rain drizzling on the ground. I still have my tool belt on with my wires for snares. I search for something that could be used as a weapon and find a hunting knife. I bid my family farewell and run outside.

I look at the footprints left in the mud and see some that obviously don't belong to me. It looks like the bottom of a sandal. I follow them and keep a look-out for anything suspicious. I finally get to the hole under the electric fence that separates the Seam from the forest. I slip under and follow the footprints for what seems like forever until I hear a twig snap. I stop dead in my tracks. I look around and find myself in a huge clearing. The ground is cleared off and the huge trees act as a canopy. I look around and something emerges out of the trees. A raspy cackle echoes around me and the beggar steps into the moonlight. He is clutching Posy close to him and has a knife at her throat. "Hello Gale Hawthorne. Welcome to my home." Posy's eyes are brimmed with tears and are full of worry. I grip my knife and say,"What do you want her? Why did you take her?" The beggar laughs his cruel laugh again and replies,"I'm poor, Gale. I have no money, and do you know what that means? No food. I have to get some myself. But a man in my shape could _never_ catch anything. Animals are too fast for me. I need bait. But I don't want to catch a rabbit. No, no, no. I want a meal. And little Posy here can help. She can attract the real game. A _lynx._" I can't believe my ears. I take a shaky breath and say,"You're going to feed her to a lynx?" The beggar replies,"Do you really think one little lynx is going to find her? Ha! And now that you've fallen into my little trap, I guess I'll have to kill you too."

He throws Posy to the ground and she cries out in pain. He lunges at me with his knife and I dodge his attack. He curses and raises his knife. I kick his shin and hear a loud crack. He screams and falls to the ground. I wait for him to stumble clumsily back on his feet. He hops on one foot with his knife ready. I pull my arm around his scrawny neck and he coughs while tugging at my arm. I release my grip a little so I won't choke him. I tell Posy to cover her eyes and she nods. I hold my knife to the beggar's neck and slit his throat. I thought that if I ever had to kill someone, I would be extremely guilty. But this man would've hurt Posy and I, and he would've ripped apart another family for his own greedy reasons. I drop him on the ground and run up to Posy. I stroke her hair and pick her up. She whimpers as I step around the dead man in his pool of blood. I safely carry her home and tuck her into bed.

She asks me to tell her a bedtime story so I tell her,"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl. Her father was very kind and sung beautifully. But one day, there was an explosion, and he died. The mother became depressed so the girl was all alone. One day, she was in the woods and met a peasant. His father had died in the explosion too. He became her best friend and he taught her how to hunt, even though it was illegal. He secretly loved her and they hunted everyday, until the big kingdom that ruled everyone took her away. She soon became a princess. A charming prince that was really greedy said he loved her even though he knew nothing about her. Everyone in the most powerful kingdom approved of their relationship, so the princess was forced into loving him back, even though the peasant knew she didn't really love him. The prince manipulated the princess for his own personal gain. The peasant heard how everyone thought it was so sweet and how it was true love. But he still had his family that he loved more than anything in the world. And _that _is the greatest thing to have. The end." I blow out her candle and kiss her forehead. Posy says,"But Gale! What happened? Doesn't the princess fall in love with the peasant?" I look at her and say,"We'll know when the princess comes home."


	7. Chapter 7

**(Author's note: Sorry for not posting for a while! I've been busy lately and forgot about the story. It's not my best chapter but her you go!)**

Nothing interesting has happened in the Hunger Games so I go to school as usual and hunt for food. I made a mental note to never go back into that clearing again. I usually ignore all of the girls whispering about me in school, but the past few days I can't ignore them. I wish Katniss could only think that way about me but she doesn't even know how I feel about her. I'm too lost in my thoughts to notice one of the most popular girls in the grade walk up to me. Her friends are huddled together and giggling and whispering. She tugs on my sleeve and says,"Hi Gale. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to do something with me after school." Her hair is a caramel color and her eyes are hazel. Her teeth are straight and white and she's wearing a red lipstick as usual.

I try and back up but she talks slowly as she walks closer to me. "My name is Azalea. I was named after a beautiful rare flower. It's true. I am very, _very _rare." She traces her finger up my arm and is too close for my liking. I can smell her perfume and I know that she's trying to seduce me. I push her back and say,"Sorry, but I'm not interested." She rolls her eyes and struts back to her friends. I walk off to my class but unfortunately, Azalea and her friends are in that class too. I hear them giggle about me and they keep blushing when I look at them. I feel relieved to finally hear the bell ring.

Our lockers are small wooden square doors that open up to a little cube to store items for each class. I finish switching textbooks and use my key to lock my locker. I feel a tap on my back and I turn around to see Azalea again. I groan and say,"Listen Azalea, I really don't-" She cuts me off by kissing me. I'm shocked that she actually did that to me but it doesn't last long. I push her away from me roughly and say,"No. I already told you. I can't do this." She laughs and says,"Gale don't be silly. I know what I want. And it's you. Don't pretend that your not interested." She puts her hands on my shoulders and tries to pull me in for another kiss but a voice next to us says,"Hey!" Azalea backs away from me and laughs nervously,"Oh um Terrence I didn't see you there." I turn around to see a large kid with jet black hair and cold grey eyes. I'm bigger and stronger than him but he obviously must not notice that because he walks up to me and pushes me,"Stay away from my girl." I shove him back and he slams his fist into my stomach. That knocks the wind out of me and I stumble backwards. Prim runs up and yells,"Leave him alone!" I cough and say wheezily,"Prim...no." But it's too late. He swings his arm t her and she slams against the wall and slides to the floor. Terrence walks up to me and kicks my stomach. What does he have against my stomach? I can barely breathe but I see Prim weeping on the floor and I clumsily stand up. I punch Terrence as hard as I can in the face. Blood gushes out of his nose and I jam my fist upwards into his jaw. He falls to the floor and starts crying like a little baby. I make sure Prim is okay and take her home since school is over. Her mother says that her ankle is sprained but she'll be fine. I wish her luck and head home.

I turn on the television to see Katniss blowing up the Career's supplies. Everything seems fine until the young girl that she's allied with gets caught in a trap. They're both screaming each other's names but it's too late. A tribute throws a spear and it lodges itself into the girl's stomach. Katniss kills the boy and sings a incredible song. I never knew what an amazing voice she had. She covers the girl in bright flowers and walks away. I know she was close to the girl and the pain she must feel. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. I open it to find Azalea. She smiles and says,"Sorry about today. Terrence thinks we're dating but I'm not really interested in him. I'm inviting a couple of people to my house and I was wondering if you wanted to come." I open my mouth to say something but my mother comes from behind me and says,"He would love to go! Gale, you've been such a loner these past few days. Go have some fun!" I unwillingly follow Azalea out the door and glare at my mother. She babbles on about how much fun it will be at her house and I pretend to listen. When we get there, I notice something. "Where are your parents?" I ask. She laughs and says,"My grandmother is sick. They're taking care of her at her house." I sit down on a chair as a bunch of kids from my grade pile in. Definitely not a couple of kids. Azalea's friends wave at me and I fake a smile. I hear kids talking about the fight today and the Hunger Games.

Azalea comes over to me and says,"Why aren't you enjoying the fun? Here, I'll help you." She bends down near my lips but I shove her. Her jaw drops and she says,"Gale! What's wrong? Terrence is gone now!" She holds on to my hand tightly but I rip it away from her and yell,"Get the hell away from me! Are you deaf? I don't like you!" Her friends were apparently eavesdropping because I hear them gasp. Azalea frowns and asks,"Why not?" I sigh and say,"One, your annoying and obnoxious. Two, you're pretty damn dumb. And three, I love _Katniss _not you!" A few people turn and stare at me but I walk out the door and slam it behind me. I get home to find my mother smiling but I go straight to the television.

I turn it one to find Katniss washing Peeta's clothes and them going into a cave. Everything is fine until their lips meet. He kissed her. Or did she kiss him? Was it real or fake? Questions buzz around in my head as I scream,"No!" at the screen. I run outside and by instinct I run into the forest. I stumble around blindly in the dark until I find our special meeting spot. I lay down panting with tears streaking down my face. I never imagined how much love would hurt. I wish everything that had happened since the reaping was all a dream but I know it's not true. I look up and see a full moon staring down at me. It seems to be taunting me by being so perfect, just like Peeta. Suddenly, I realize I'm not alone. I look to my left to see someone sitting on a rock. It's the last person I would ever expect to be here. Madge Undersee.


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N: Hello people of the web! Sorry for not posting in a while. School supplies, going to school, doing stuff with friends, but worst of all, THE DEPRESSION OF THE END OF MOCKINGJAY! I won't share any spoilers in case any of you haven't read it yet, but I didn't enjoy the choice of people they chose to kill off. And another reason but I won't share too much! Anyway, back to the story!)**

"What are you doing here?" I ask. She doesn't respond. I begin to slowly walk over to her. "How did you find this place? This is a _private _spot for Katniss and I! No one else should be here!" When she still doesn't respond, I begin to get angry. She's wearing her usual thin blue jacket and a long white skirt. Her blonde hair glows in the moonlight and makes her hair look silver. It gives me and eerie feeling and when I get closer, I see that her skin is a milky white. She's sitting on the rock in an oddly straight posture and staring straight at the moon. "Answer me!" I yell. I put my hand on her shoulder and turn her around. I gasp and fall backwards.

Where Madge's should be is Katniss's face. She laughs at me with an odd cruel laugh that doesn't belong to Katniss. Suddenly, her body melts into a stockier person. Peeta. He laughs at me and tightens the tie on his fancy purple suit of silk. Katniss walks up in a matching purple gown that reminds me of a new flame. She has smoky eyeshadow and her hair looks wavy and soft. Peeta wraps his arm around her and they kiss right in front of me. "No!" I scream. They ignore me and walk over to a black sleeping bag and they both slip inside. They fall asleep in each other's arms and disappear into a mist.

I hear a sweet noise behind me and turn around to see Katniss's dead ally. Rue is floating and singing her mockingjay song with flowers in her hair, dress, shoes, and she even seems to be floating on a misty flower. She sees me and smiles but I hear a noise behind me. I turn around to see thousands of jabberjays flying towards me. One screeches and has its claws aimed at me, ready to dig into my skin. I scream as the bird hits me and I pass out.

The sound of birds singing awakes me and the sunlight hits me in the eyes. I stumble to my feet and look around. My hallucinations were too real for my liking last night. I sit back down because everything I'm trying to comprehend is a little too much. I can't believe how many tears I've shed since Katniss was reaped. I feel dried up along with my heart. And now hallucinations. Everything doesn't make sense. My vision is blurred and my thoughts aren't clear. I lay down in a patch of sunlight to rest until the thought hits me. My family. I've completely forgotten them. They must be so worried. And what about Katniss's family? I can't just abandon my promises to Katniss. It would be best to avoid my mental breakdowns from now on. I check my snares to find two rabbits and a couple of chipmunks. I sling my bag over my shoulder and head home, ready for many kisses and hugs from my mother.

I open the door to my house to find my mother weeping on her rocking chair, cradling Posy in her arms. Rory and Vick are standing by the fireplace with worried looks on their faces and whispering to each other. Rory looks up and smiles,"Gale! Your home!" Posy squeals and my mother embraces me in a rib cracking hug,"Please don't ever scare me like that again!" I apologize and give her half of my game. "Don't worry mother. I'll be back. I just have to stop at the Everdeen's," I say. She squeezes my hand and lets me go.

I walk down the dark road, wondering if Katniss truly loved Peeta back. I don't have a lot of time to ponder it, because I reach Katniss's house and walk up the path to the door. I'm about to knock on the door, when I hear a loud crash inside. The door opens a crack and I see a flash of orange. "Buttercup!" Prim screams. I scoop up the hideous cat just as Prim runs to the door. "Oh hi Gale!" I laugh and say,"I believe this fellow belongs to you." She thanks me and takes Buttercup out of my arms. She invites me inside and I set what's left of my game on the counter. I turn to Prim and ask,"Would you like me to skin them?" She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by a cheery voice,"Oh that wouldn't be necessary!" I turn around to see Mrs. Everdeen looking bright and cheerful. I'm happy to see her happy again and ask,"What's got you in such a good mood?" She hums a little and responds,"Well, as you know, two tributes from the same district can win if they're the only ones left! Mr. Mellark and I think that maybe if Peeta and Katniss keep working together, they might win! But they have to get past that horrid boy and girl from District 2." She furrows her brow and stares into space a little but her smile returns again,"Well, all I can do is hope for the best! The Katniss I know doesn't go down without a fight. Thank you for the meat Gale!" I nod and kiss Prim on the cheek and wish them a good evening.

On my way out, Buttercup hisses at me. I laugh and ruffle his fur. I'm halfway out the door, but Butter cup his tugging at me pant leg and biting my heel. I try to shake him off but he doesn't leave me alone. Prim runs over and says,"Buttercup, no!" She picks him up, but he wriggles around and scratches her, causing her to drop him. He sprints out the door and we run after him. The air is cold and damp. A fog forms and soon begins to thicken. At one point, it gets so thick that I lose sight of Buttercup's bushy tail. Then, I hear him meowing. We follow the noise to find him laying down next to a big heap. I crouch down and can't believe my eyes. Azalea is huddled on the ground and gasping for breath. She has large bruises all over her arms and legs. Blood trickles down her head and she whispers in a raspy voice,"Please help me."

**(A/N: Sorry if I'm a little rusty but I haven't updated in a while. Hope you liked it! Please review!)**


End file.
